Catherine Jean Cunningham Turner

Catherine's Story

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TAHLEQUAH – Funeral services for Catherine Jean Cunningham Turner will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 8, at 11 a.m. at the First United Methodist Church of Tahlequah with Joan King officiating. Interment will be held at Cookson-Proctor Cemetery in Cookson. Online condolences for the family may be left at www.reedculver.com. There is so much to share about Cathy. Her family and friends have been remembering wonderful stories through her Facebook page. They invite you to contribute to and enjoy these memories. Catherine Jean Cunningham Turner, or Cathy to her many friends, was born on Nov. 17, 1952, in Greeley, Colo., the daughter of Ida Lee and William Joseph Cunningham. The family would later move to Tahlequah. In high school, Cathy played oboe and was on the speech and debate team. Cathy had a full music scholarship to Stephens College in Missouri, yet she chose to attend Northeastern State University and obtained her Bachelors of Arts degree in Speech Communication. She worked toward a Master of Arts in Communication from the University of Arkansas and did all but finish her thesis. On June 28, 1975, she married her husband and best friend, Dorian Randall Turner, on the Illinois River at sunrise. They married after only three months of dating and enjoyed 40 years of love and selfless devotion. This union was blessed with three children: Austin, Sarah, and Molly. First and foremost, Cathy was a devoted daughter, wife, mother, sister, teacher, and friend. Her family was the most important part of her everyday activities. She loved doing all she could to make her house a home. She was always available to help her children, and offer her home and a bowl of her homemade taco soup to anyone who came to her door. Cathy loved people and never met a stranger.